Piano, Organ & Other Keyboard Instruments

Sometimes Levels are given rather than grades. For details please click here

GUIDANCE

Where reference has been made either to a specific grade, or to terms such as elementary, intermediate etc, or to a level expressed in Grades, it is expected that entrants, parents, and especially teachers, will bear in mind that it is in the spirit of the festival to try to adhere carefully to the standards suggested by the the relevant grade.  If in any doubt about the level of a piece then teachers should not hesitate to contact the Keyboard Section Co-ordinator who will be happy to give guidance.  

Whilst it is obviously acceptable to play an exam piece in the festival, wider repertoire is strongly encouraged, in the context of the above advice.

Candidates may play only one piece in each class, unless the description of the class expressly states otherwise.

Within any class, the adjudicator will pay more heed to the standard of the performance than to the level of difficulty of the piece. 

Adjudicator: Jena Pang MA(Oxon), PGDL

This year we have the same Adjudicator for both Instrumental and Keyboard Music sections.

Jena Chun-Wah Pang is based in the United Kingdom and is celebrated for his exceptional teaching, judging competitions and scholarship awards internationally. His students based in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Beijing, Malaysia, Thailand, Geneva, Milan, Vienna, Spain, New York and Calgary, are first prizewinners and hold top honors at Amigdala International Piano Competition Italy 2019-2023; Feurich International Piano Competition 2018-2023 Vienna; Carles and Sofia International Piano Competition 2023 Spain; Vienna International Music Competition 2024, the VI International Liszt Ferenc Competition Hungary 2023; Carmel Arts International Piano Competition USA 2022; Monegro 88 Keys International Piano Competition Spain 2021; London Young Musician International Piano Competition 2020-2021; Harmonium Plus International Piano Competition Armenia 2020, Music and Stars International Piano Competition 2020; Costa Festa International Piano Competition 2019 Spain; Tadini International Piano Competition 2019 Italy, Canadian Music Competition 2019 (violin) Canada; Clavis International Piano Competition 2018 St Petersburg Russia; National EPTA-UK piano competition 2023, 2020. Several of his students have also won the Elena Cobb Star Prize Award and have performed at the Royal Albert Hall.

Mr Pang was Chairman of the piano jury of the Amigdala International Music Competition Italy 2019-2024 Italy, and has judged numerous international competitions notably Clavis Bavaria International Piano Competition Germany 2024, Windsor International Piano Competition 2019-2022, BMTG Intercontinental Piano Competition New York USA 2021, the inaugural Carmel Klavier Europe International Piano Competition 2020, the Saint Petersburg International Piano Competition 2020, Osaka International Music Competition 2019 in Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan; IMPACT Young Artists International Piano Competition USA 2019, Blackheath Music Festival, Dudley Music Festival, Maidenhead Music Festival, Maidstone Music Festival, Longwell Green and Kingswood Performing Arts Festival, and Horsham Performers Platform, Bedford Music Festival, Milton Keynes Festival of Arts, Edinburgh Music Competition Festival, and the 8th Singapore Performers Festival and Chamber Music Competition, Edinburgh Concerto Competition, Torbay Music Festival, Basingstoke Music and Arts Festival, Bristol Festival of Music, Speech and Drama, Mid-Somerset Festival, Fleetwood Online Festival of Arts and the Vaya International Online Festival Canada. He adjudicated the Freda Parry Scholarship Competition from 2008-2023 and previously the annual Jena Pang Piano Competition held at Milton Keynes Preparatory School.

Recognised for his pedagogical skills, Mr Pang has lectured on competition preparation and given piano and violin masterclasses for the Alberta Piano Teachers Association, the Alberta Registered Music Teachers Association in Canada, IMPACT Piano Competition New York, Clavis International Music Competition Bavaria Germany, Amigdala International Music Competition Italy, at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music for the Singapore Music Teachers Association, Windsor International Piano Competition, Maidenhead Music Festival and Bristol Festival of Music, Speech and Drama in the UK.

He has had invitations to teach and judge at Music Fest Perugia Italy, International Piano Festival Ambassador of Tarnow and Krogulski International Piano Competition Poland, Tadini International Piano School in Lovere, Piano Talents International Piano Competition Milan, Tadini International Piano Competition Italy, Talent Music Summer Courses and Festival Brescia Italy, Dulwich Music Festival, Seven Oaks Three Arts Festival. For 2025 the Edinburgh Piano Concerto Competition, Bristol Festival of Music, Speech and Drama, Mid Somerset Festival, Torbay Music Festival, Basingstoke Music and Arts Festival, and Derby Arts Festival.

Mr Pang was awarded an instrumental scholarship to study Music at St Peter’s College, Oxford University and studied the violin with Lydia Mordkovitch and the piano with Lora Dimitrova and had lessons with Christopher Elton, Ruth Waterman, Keith Pascoe, Brenda Farrow, Shalinee Jayatilaka and Elsie Brown. He has been teaching the piano and violin for the last 31 years in addition to being a solicitor and partner in a law firm from 2004-2014. As a child he appeared on British and Hong Kong television playing both piano and violin, at the Purcell Room South Bank, and with English Orchestras for concertos. Recent concert engagements have been collaborations with Dennis Lee, Chee Hung Toh and Graeme Humphrey.

He champions the British Music Festival movement and has seen all sides from child competitor, adjudicator and administration: he is currently the Piano Convenor and a trustee of the Southend Festival of Performing Arts and trustee of the Freda Parry Scholarship Fund Competition. His influence in the musical community continues to grow, making him a highly respected figure in the world of music education and performance. In 2024 Jena was elected to the BIFF Adjudicators Council and subsequently elected as Chairman of the Music Adjudicators Council in 2025.

Jena Pang is an adjudicator for the British and International Federation of Festivals for Music, Dance and Speech and has adjudicates both live and online competitions.